


I Know My Baby’s Gonna Be There

by oneoneandone



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-17 08:26:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28846047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oneoneandone/pseuds/oneoneandone
Summary: The day before the wedding, and Lindsey’s fiancée is missing.Or, Rose does Rose things.
Relationships: Lindsey Horan/Emily Sonnett
Comments: 7
Kudos: 80





	I Know My Baby’s Gonna Be There

**Author's Note:**

> **Prompt**   
>  _"Should I be worried?" "Is the grass green?" Soran_

“Rose stole your girlfriend away to run errands,” Kelley said as she came up to stand next to Lindsey. The taller woman turned immediately, her long hair brushing against Kelley’s shoulders as it twirled with her.

“Fiancée,” Lindsey corrected her friend as they watched the final preparations for the wedding take shape, decorators hanging gauzy white trim from the exposed timber rafters of the boat house where tomorrow she would be marrying the love of her life, “Rose stole my fiancée away to run errands.” She took a calming breath, closing her eyes as she watched her mother give some directions their wedding planner, deciding not to intervene. “Should I be worried?” Lindsey asked, managing to keep the waver out of her voice.

Kelley let out a laugh that wasn’t at all reassuring. “Is the grass green?” she teased, “I mean, this is Rose we’re talking about. Ten to one Emily wakes up on a Mississippi riverboat tomorrow morning with no idea where her bra is.” But when she looked up at her friend, she saw that the other woman wasn’t laughing along with her.

“Linds,” she patted the midfielder’s arm, “listen to me.” And Kelley waited until Lindsey looked down at her, meeting her eyes. “That girl is so in love with you,” she said softly, “she waited for years for you to want her back the way she has always wanted you, and then years again for you to be ready for this step. Even when it was hard, even when it made her feel like she was dying inside, Emily Sonnett has only ever loved you. Do you get what I’m saying?”

And Lindsey nodded, because she did. “I made her wait and wait and wait,” she shrugged, trying to pass off the sad memories as nonchalance, “I made her hurt.” But Kelley just scowled, angry with herself for not being able to get the words out right and annoyed with Lindsey for not hearing what she’d been trying to say. And pissed as fuck at Rose, because if it was anyone’s job to steal Emily away for a secret errand the afternoon before the wedding, it was hers, as Emily’s official Majordomo of Honor.

“No, knucklehead,” she poked her friend. “I’m saying that Em would quite literally murder anyone who got in the way of marrying you tomorrow. So she might be in handcuffs, and we might not ever find Rose’s body, but our favorite Energizer bunny will be here. Dressed to the shit and looking so damn fine. And just like always with eyes only, only for you. Okay?”

Lindsey wiped at her eyes and nodded. “Yeah, yeah,” she hip-checked the smaller woman, giving her a smile. “I’m just—I can’t believe I got here, you know? All that time I spent chasing something I didn’t want, trying to be someone I didn’t want to be. But I made it, and I’m so fucking happy, Kel. Like, you can’t even imagine.”

The older woman nodded, but she could. She could imagine. She might have gotten to that place in her life a lot faster than Lindsey did, but she’d shed her fair share of tears doing it.

“And I’m just terrified that I’m going to suddenly wake up and find myself back where I used to be. Unhappy, unsettled. And everything I’ve fought for and ev—” But Lindsey doesn’t get the chance to finish before Kelley has her wrapped up in a tight hug.

“Em told me if you start to ramble I should just do this,” Kelley said, and squeezed the larger woman even closer, even tighter. And Lindsey, even though she set her face in a well-practiced scowl, rested her chin over the other woman’s head. If she closed her eyes, she could pretend it was her fianceé, her wife-to-be, holding her close.

“There,” the defender loosened her grip to step back once she felt Lindsey stop fighting and settle in, but the younger woman’s arms were wrapped around her now, and Kelley tightened hers again, “better?” And she could feel her friend nod. “She said sometimes you need a little pressure therapy when you get like that.”

“Em says a lot of things,” Lindsey finally let her go, but the words were full of soft gratitude.

They stood for another few minutes until Lindsey lost patience for the whole process; it wasn’t like they were letting her help anyway. “There’s a six-pack of Heineken in my trunk,” she turned to her friend, “you want to go let off some steam?”

“God, yes,” Kelley accepted without hesitation. “Let’s fucking go.”

And Lindsey laughed, realizing now that even if her own maid of honor had run off with her partner, Emily had clearly asked her own to stick by Lindsey’s side. “Where do you think they went?” she asked as they slipped out unnoticed, “what kind of errand could they possibly have to run four hours before our rehearsal dinner?”

Kelley gave her a grin, the kind that meant she knew exactly where Rose had dragged Emily off to and why. “Let’s just say,” she drew the words out low and slow, “I’m pretty sure you’ll appreciate it.” And when Lindsey’s eyes went wide, she snorted. “I don’t know the details, but Rose has been talking all week about how it’s her duty as your maid of honor to make sure you have the best night of your life tomorrow.”

“Oh, oh no,” Lindsey swore under her breath, because she was going to have to kill her best friend now. Like—straight up murder her. That was, if Emily didn’t do it first.

— — —

The rehearsal went off with just a few hitches. But the ring bearer tripping over his own feet, and Emily strutting down the aisle to “Sweet Home Alabama” (instead of the song they’d agreed to) had set everyone’s night-before nerves at ease. There had been laughter and smiles and more than a few happy tears. And Lindsey found herself smiling and laughing and crying along with everyone else, her heart so overflowing with love as she looked around at all of her family and friends.

As she looked over at the woman who would soon become her wife.

“Hey,” she whispered as they waited outside the door to the banquet room at the restaurant where their rehearsal dinner is taking place, “where’d you go this afternoon?”

But Emily just gave her a familiar grin. The same grin she always gave the younger woman whenever there was some mischief afoot. And knowing that Rose was involved, Lindsey was certain that there had been some mischief.

“Just a few last minute errands,” the blonde said simply, her voice light as her hand stroked down Lindsey’s spine, settling over the firm curve of her ass. “Nothing to worry about.”

Lindsey snorted. “You and Rose were left alone with no adult supervision,” she teased, nuzzling into Emily’s neck, “I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a warrant out for the two of you.”

The door opened before them, and their wedding planner motioned for them to come forward before Emily could respond, but Lindsey could read her amusement in the way her fiancée’s fingers scratched over the base of her spine.

“Ready?” she wrapped her arm around the shorter woman’s waist.

Emily only gave her a soft, loving look. “Baby, you have no idea,” she leaned into the brunette before leading them both into the large room before their family and friends, all cheering and clapping for them.

After the speeches from their parents, who were hosting the dinner together—a concession from the brides, who refused to let them pay for any part of the wedding—and the dinner, everyone began to mingle again, the alcohol flowing as freely as the laughter. The atmosphere was joyous, a true celebration of love, and the music thrumming through the gathered bodies like a heartbeat, steady and true. And Lindsey was just sitting back in her seat at the head table, watching these friends and family and strangers all come together for this moment, perfectly happy, perfectly content.

“So,” Rose sidled up to her, sitting down in a way that lacked all possible grace, “when you thank me for being the best maid of honor in history at the reception tomorrow, don’t forget to mention how I took your wife to buy something special for your wedding night.” And the tiny woman wiggled her eyebrows in a very inappropriate manner for someone who could still get into the movies on a children’s ticket four times out of five.

Lindsey looked around, grateful that no one seemed close enough to have over-heard. “You!” She said, half whisper, half hiss, “I’m going to murder you.” And the taller woman stood, grabbing her friend by the arm, and dragged her out onto the balcony overlooking the city.

Rose looked offended, rubbing her arm. “What the hell, Whoreann,” she said harshly, “what was that for?”

“For kidnapping my fiancée this afternoon and leaving me all alone the day before my wedding,” Lindsey glared at her.

But Rose just laughed at her, annoyance fading away into easy amusement. “I didn’t have to kidnap her,” she teased, “she was more than willing to come along.” The shorter woman grinned widely, “Besides, you weren’t alone. We left Kelley with you.” Rose snorted remembering, “And don’t even try to tell me you didn’t have fun hanging out with her. She had beer breath when I got back.” The smirk on her face was insufferable, and Lindsey found herself very tempted to let a little of her temper out.

Instead, she sighed. “You’re not going to give me any hints?” Lindsey asked. “Like, just so I can prepare myself? I’d hate to have a heart attack on my wedding night.”

Rose’s eyes sparkled, beyond herself with joy that Lindsey had finally given in and was playing along. “How about this,” she said in a tone of voice that Lindsey knew well from experience was finely tuned toward causing trouble. “How about I give you three guesses?”

The taller woman narrowed her eyes, as much as she knew it was useless, Rose was always a vault with her secrets. “Okay, lingerie,” she rolled her eyes, because of course it had to be lingerie.

But her friend only chortled, “What do you think I am, a plebe?” Rose sounded the tiniest bit offended. And Lindsey couldn’t keep the slightly disappointed expression off her face, to the younger woman’s great amusement. “I’m not saying there won’t be lingerie on your wedding night,” Rose assured her, “I’m just saying that our mission today was far more advanced than that.”

And she patted Lindsey’s shoulder. “Besides, I already picked out lingerie for you and packed it in your bag.” She winked as Lindsey guffawed. “Oh, don’t give me that look,” Rose shrugged, “you were being so prudish about the idea. So I got you this banger of a set—in navy blue. Sonnett is probably going to die of a sex stroke before she even touches you.”

Lindsey could feel a headache forming, the kind of headache that only Rose could inspire. And she rubbed at her temples. “Rose—,” she tried to say, but the younger woman just continued on.

“And you—whoa, boy, Horan, you are in for a night. Let’s just say, I didn’t think you had it in you but I’ve got a whole new respect for you lesbians now.”

At that point, Lindsey could only shake her head, having completely lost track of what her friend was talking about. “Listen, Rose,” she said, exhaling slowly, “you don’t think it’s, like, the tiniest bit weird how much interest you’ve taken in our sex life?”

But Rose just shook off the question. “You listen, Lindsey Horan,” she said, with the kind of fierceness she usually only reserved for opponents or her friends’ exes, “I watched the two of you fuck around and be miserable to hang out with for years. Do you have any idea how hard it was to be friends with two pussies too afraid to just fuck each other into happiness?” She sniffed imperiously. “So I’m going to do everything I can to make sure the two of you stick out this whole marriage thing, just so I don’t ever have to hang out with Mopey and Dopey again. Up to and including taking your dumb blonde wife out to the best adult store in Atlanta to make sure the sex is so good you never even consider going back to your sad, miserable, kicked-puppy life as a heterosexual.”

Lindsey let out a strangled sound as she looked at her best friend standing there. Honestly, she wasn’t sure whether to be amused, or offended, or pissed. So she just stood there, taking slow, calming breaths until she could say what she needed to say. “Rose, please, for the love of God—“

But before she could finish, she felt a warm, familiar hand take her elbow. “There you are,” Emily pulled her close, “I’ve been looking for you.” The blonde leaned in to kiss her jaw softly. “You okay?” she whispered, just loud enough for Lindsey to hear, and the brunette nodded, reaching for her hand and squeezing it tight.

“Well,” Rose took the opportunity presented to escape, having seen the tell-tale look as the last of Lindsey’s patience ran out, “I’m going to give you some privacy, just don’t get caught with your hand down each other’s pants or something.” And she scurried away, Lindsey shaking her head behind her as Emily chuckled.

“Are you okay?” the blonde asked again, and Lindsey looked up at her, meeting her eyes.

“I’m sorry about Rose, the whole sex shop thi—“

Emily cut her off with a gentle kiss. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she smiled against Lindsey’s lips. And the younger woman let out a relieved sigh. If Emily wasn’t pissed off then she could stop worrying about it. Or at least tone her annoyance down a bit.

The blonde wrapped her arms around Lindsey’s waist, pulling her close and massaging softly into the muscles at the base of her spine. “Want to hear something amazing?” Emily whispered kisses over her jaw, “We getting married tomorrow.”

And Lindsey melted into her embrace, the words filling up all of the empty places, the hidden niches within her where the doubts always hid away, building until they spilled over. “We are,” she said breathlessly, “we really are.” And she swayed with her fiancée as the music from inside flitted out through the French doors onto the balcony, up into the night air. “You know how much I love you, right?” the brunette asked. And she knew, of course she knew Emily knew, but she needed to hear her say it. One last time before the party broke up and they had to be apart until they met again at the altar.

“I do,” Emily whispered, smiling as she tucked a delicate curl back behind Lindsey’s ear, “I know exactly how much you love me. More than soccer, more than kombucha, more than sleep and warm socks and the perfect first touch. And almost as much as you love the last piece of avocado toast.” Her eyes sparkled in the night light as she teased the woman who she’d spent her whole adult life loving.

And Lindsey groaned, though there was a smile behind the faux annoyance. “They gave us three pieces, Sonnett,” her lips curved up in a smile at the memory of a fight long forgiven but not forgotten. “Someone had to eat that last piece.”

Emily snorted, “God, you never would have survived with Emma and me as a kid. Have you ever heard of cutting it in half and sharing it?” She shook her head in amusement.

“Fine,” Lindsey smiled and kissed her nose. “I’ll even add it to my vows tomorrow. ‘ _I swear to always split the last piece of avocado toast with you_ ,’ happy?”

But the blonde just smiled, lifting her arms to drape over the taller woman’s shoulders, and nuzzled into her neck. “Ecstatic,” she whispered, and pressed a happy, loving kiss to the underside of her fiancée’s jaw.

— — —

The day went by in a blur, so fast that Lindsey was still processing it all as she watched the woman who was now her wife close and latch the door of their suite.

“So,” Lindsey said softly, a wide smile across her face as her wife walked toward her, looking tired but so, so happy, “that happened.” And Emily laughed as she was pulled into a gentle embrace, as her wife pressed a kiss just above her hairline.

“It did,” she whispered, kissing along the corner of Lindsey’s mouth, slow and teasing, everywhere but where Lindsey wanted her. “Any regrets?” Emily smiled up at her.

Lindsey only captured her lips in response, kissing her long, and deep, and slow. “Only that we didn’t do it years ago,” she whispered against Emily’s lips. And she saw the bright love bloom in her wife’s blue eyes, and she felt the way the blonde’s lips curled up in a soft smile.

“Well, good,” Emily wrapped her arms around the taller woman’s neck, “because I forgot to tell you that all purchases are final. No returns accepted.”

And Lindsey pressed their heads together, just taking a moment to breathe in the moment. Until the blonde woman brought a palm up to caress her wife’s jaw. “Wife?” she whispered, and waited until Lindsey looked up to meet her eyes, “take me to bed.”

She laughed and lifted Emily easily, grunting a little as she felt those strong legs wrap around her waist. “Thank god you went for the pantsuit option for the reception,” Lindsey grinned as she walked them toward the bedroom, enjoying the feel of her wife’s ass in her hands, at least until Emily’s tongue found that spot just under her jaw that always drove her crazy. “Oh, fuck,” she snorted, almost dropping the blonde a full foot from the bed, before letting her wife down gently on the thick, plush mattress.

“Actually,” Emily rolled out of Lindsey’s reach, smirking as the younger woman pouted, “I want to get out of this makeup first.” The smile she gave her wife was almost overwhelming in the force of its love, and just a little bit mischievous.

Lindsey swallowed hard. “I thought we agreed—nothing special for tonight?” And inside she cursed Rose, certain that this was all her annoying best friend’s fault. Non-wife best friend’s fault.

But Emily just laughed. “Oh, baby,” she rose up on her elbows, looking so beautiful Lindsey just wanted to press her back down, and show her how much she was loved, “like that was ever going to happen.”

So Lindsey found herself digging through her bag, desperately searching for the lingerie Rose had sneakily packed for her, even as the fear of what her friend might have bought for her to wear grew. But when she finally pulled out the smooth silk lingerie, Lindsey let out a soft gasp. It was perfect, exactly what she might have chosen for herself.

Standing before the mirror in the bedroom, feeling the cool air on her skin, feeling the sleek fabric over her abs where she’d pressed a hand to quell the butterflies there, Lindsey looked at herself, really looked. She saw the deep, dark blue fabric against her skin, the way the halves of the robe dipped to reveal the delicate cami underneath, how her breasts strained against the fabric, nipples prominent. She saw the lines that accentuated her curves, her strength. Lindsey looked at herself, and she smiled. She was, without a doubt, the happiest she’d ever been in her life.

“Hey,” Lindsey heard the warm, soft voice from behind her, and she turned.

And she gasped.

And she fell in love all over again.

“That’s—you’re,” she stammered for a moment before she stopped, wanting to take her wife all in. To commit the vision before her to memory.

Emily, her long blonde hair loose and flowing past her shoulders. Her face bare, the makeup from the wedding gone and wiped away to reveal just the pure and glowing beauty she radiated every day.

Her feet and legs were bare, toes painted a deep red, legs their usual honey golden tan. Lindsey’s gaze moved up slowly, feeling the warmth of want and need grow as her eyes took in the slight ripple of the jersey’s hem where it fell, just at the middle of her wife’s thighs.

“Fuck, Em,” Lindsey felt like she could barely breathe, seeing her wife in the familiar red jersey, the Thorns crest right over her left breast, “I thought—you said.“ Because she remembered, of course, the way Emily had cried over the trade, how she’d sworn she’d never wear anything from her former Portland team again. But there she stood, the upcoming season’s jersey falling hanging so perfectly over her frame.

Lindsey remembered, too, the way she’d felt when she’d first seen the new kits for the season, modeled on that first kit, their first uniform. The one they’d worn so proudly in their first season together, young and eager. What she’d been wearing when she’d fallen in love the first time.

Emily stood before her now, wearing this tribute to their past, this testament to their journey, looking like something holy, something ethereal. And Lindsey felt her belly twist and turn, clench tight in anticipation. “You like?” the blonde asked with a smile, secret and soft and just for her.

The younger woman stepped closer, letting her fingers run over the league patch on her wife’s arm. “I do,” Lindsey whispered, and the laughed a little. “I really fucking do.” She slowly circled the woman before her, admiring every perfect plane and curve of her body.

And then she saw it. Out of the corner of her eye.

_Horan_

_16_

“Emily?” she couldn’t help how her voice went so soft, so full of wonder and hope.

“That errand today,” the blonde turned, hands skimming over the sheer navy silk that covered Lindsey’s body, “I had to go sign some paperwork.” And there was a teasing lilt in her voice, a happy lift to the words.

“But Rose said—“ Lindsey wanted to take those hands and redirect them, guide them to where she needed them most. But she resisted the urge.

Her wife laughed. “Misdirection,” Emily’s lips curled into an ecstatic grin. “Oh, don’t get me wrong—we definitely hit up Atlanta’s premiere adult entertainment store,” she said, eyes gleaming with amusement. With joy and love.

Emily slipped her hands under the silky robe, resting them over Lindsey’s hipster “Ask me what team I play for, Linds,” she whispered huskily.

Her wife swallowed hard. Heart racing. “I know what team you play for,” Lindsey somehow managed to get out. But Emily only smiled at her, kissing her softly.

“Ask me,” Lindsey felt the words more than she heard them, whispered into a kiss. And so she did.

And Emily lifted her head, nuzzling her nose against the younger woman’s.

“Yours,” she whispered, and smiled into another kiss. Soft and precious and so, so happy.

— — —

“So,” Lindsey hummed softly into her wife’s blonde hair where they lay together in the large hotel bed, “all that talk from Rose about you guys going out to buy something to rock my world so I’d never go back to men was—“

And Emily snorted as she turned in the younger woman’s arms, wrapping her arms around Lindsey’s waist and resting her head right up against her chest. “Are you saying I haven’t rocked your world tonight?” she teased, pressing a kiss over her wife’s heart as Lindsey chuckled in response.

“Heaven forbid,” she kissed over Emily’s jaw, moving slowly down the gentle curve. “Just planning exactly how I want to torture her in return.” Lindsey winked at the blonde as she reached for Emily’s thigh, bringing it to rest over her hip, wanting her wife as close as she could get.

Emily grinned, the kind of grin that spelled trouble, and the taller woman knew to be wary of what was coming. “I may have done something,” she bit her lip, “but it’s like half for her own good, and half payback.”

“My vows didn’t include anything about bailing you out of jail,” Lindsey teased softly.

“A gross oversight, if you ask me,” Emily snorted. But then she brought her hand up to rest over Lindsey’s chest, feeling the strong thrum of her wife’s heartbeat under her palm. “We did go to a sex store, but—okay, you know she and Kelley have been hooking up ever since the bachelorette weekend, right? Like, not sex as far as Rose said, but they keep getting close and Kelley totally gave her that hickey she had at brunch last weekend—“

And Lindsey hadn’t, actually. But thinking back, a few puzzle pieces over the last few weeks suddenly fell into place. “Beer breath,” she hummed to herself, seeing their two friends in an entirely different light.

“Right,” Emily gave her a look. “So she’s been making all these comments about our sex life, right?” And Lindsey nodded. “So I kind of maybe told her if she was so curious she should just, like, explore. Like watch some porn or something. But then—,” the blonde is smiling widely, “I’ve got to go meet Merritt at his hotel, and she demands to go with. And the whole way there she’s talking about how she looked up this lesbian sex shop and I need to go there to get something special for the wedding night.”

Lindsey could see where this was going to go. “But like everything Rose does—,” she shook her head in amusement.

Her wife laughed. “Exactly. I was just the excuse for her ulterior motivations. So I spent like two full hours in there before she finally confessed that she was maybe just a little interested in the whole lady-sex thing. And then she wouldn’t shut up about strap-ons, and how maybe I should get one just in case you ever miss dick.”

Lindsey snorted. “Oh, sweet baby Rose,” she kissed her wife’s brow, “our sweet summer child.” And maybe she should be angry, but it was so hard to be anything but blissed out on love and happiness while she has the love of her life, her fucking wife, in her arms. So instead she just shook her head.

“So here’s where I might have gone overboard,” Emily looked up at her, that infuriatingly adorable look of innocence spread across her face. Lindsey just rolled her eyes and waited for an explanation. “I bought the biggest one there,” the blonde said, already dissolving into laughter before the words are fully out. And suddenly one of Rose’s comments from last night made complete sense.

Lindsey blushed deeply. “Wait, she thinks that I—? And that you—?” But Emily couldn’t answer, not laughing so hard as she was. “You could have just told her that we already have a strap-on,” the younger woman rolled her eyes, “and that it’s in your bag for the honeymoon.”

“I still think you cheated on that coin toss,” Emily gave her a little glare, thinking back to the way Lindsey hadn’t let her see the result. “But I was not going to be the one to tell her that we have Fanny—“

Lindsey just rolled her eyes for the thousandth time at the name Emily had given their favorite toy.

“—and I really think that if anyone is going to tell Rose that you like to wear the dick in our relationship, it should be you,” Emily gave her a smirk.

“Yeah, that’s not happening,” Lindsey rolled until she was over her wife, looking down at those laughing blue eyes. “So what did you do with the one you bought?”

Emily’s grin was the sexiest thing the taller woman had ever seen. “Kelley’s gonna sneak it into Rose’s carry-on,” she said, sounding absolutely delighted with herself.

And taller woman stared down at her for a moment, mouth open in shock or surprise, until Emily lifted her head to kiss her. “Fuck, I love you,” Lindsey gasped when she finally broke away to breathe, before kissing her right back.

**Author's Note:**

> “Wide Open Arms,” Marc Scibilia


End file.
